The Perks of Believing
by MadlyMagical
Summary: A reflection on New Year's Eve.


_Success starts from believing._

Asada Shino's white breath mingled to the winter air as she continued walking down the street. It was relatively empty, with occasional passerby in thick clothing. The shops lined neatly beside the cement street, and all decorated with trademark Christmas decorations. She shoved her hands deeper to her jacket pocket to warm them up, while cursing herself internally for declining her friend's offer to pick her up.

Her boots dug to the white snow beneath as she stopped to examine a Christmas decoration on a shop that catches her eye. It was a girl with brown colored wool for the hair, pink for her cheeks, and red cloth for her jacket and hat. So far, it was pretty ordinary for a Christmas decoration. No, what caught her interest was the scarf the doll is wearing, which looked disturbingly familiar.

It looked like Sinon's muffler.

Sinon was the name of her avatar on the online game, Gun Gale Online. She was a symbol of strength, coldness, and heartlessness. She was actually a cold-blooded killer in the game, and one of the two best gunners in that world. She sighed. _One of the two._

Sinon was her, yet so much different from her. Asada Shino was a scared, Sinon was fearless. Asada Shino was weak, Sinon was strong, the Goddess of the Underworld.

Used to.

She smiled at the memory of a beautiful boy who changed her ways of viewing life. The boy who has a mischievous smile, glowing black eyes, creamy white skin, ruby lips, and so appealing in a feminine way it was unfair for females themselves. He changed her cool, uncaring demeanor without even realizing it. He cradled her when she broke down, whispering soothing word while she sobbed uncontrollably in his embrace. He completed Sinon. He healed Asada Shino.

Her feet continued on carrying her to her destination as she continued reviewing her life, how much it had changed this past year. She was a girl who's scarred because of a simple robber and his gun. She's fooling no one but herself if she said she's not afraid of the man anymore, the fear was still there, but she has learned how to handle it, because of that boy, always that boy, who taught her to _believe _herself.

Believe was such a foreign word to her before. She didn't believe anyone after that incident, always so scared and suspicious. She didn't believe her mother to take care of herself. She didn't believe any male except Kyouji, who turned out to be the death Gun himself. Heck, she didn't even believe in herself.

But thanks to her disbelief, especially for the male species, that she decided to help the Snow White look-a-like and eventually befriend him (after slapping him, of course.)

Now she had learnt to believe him and his friends. He convinced her by his equally disturbed past of a death game they called Sword Art Online. He gave her a silent truth by telling her the story of his journey in the floating castle, a full out true sentence that snapped her out of her broken state.

"_Everything starts from believing,"_

She had found comfort in his arms later that cold night, repeatedly saying inside her head to _believebelievebelieveandbeli eve_. And finally, after a long process and him almost dying, she did.

As for him…

She found herself being drawn to him like a moth to light. She craved for his caring arms, his teasing smile, the fiery look on his eyes when he's fighting with sword. With Kyouji, she had felt safe, patent even, but with him she felt unstable, like a time bomb ready to explode.

And she liked it.

When she met him outside the game, she couldn't help but think he didn't look that different from he was in the game (she liked it). When she found out he was the hero of SAO, with that dark blush creeping on his cheeks she couldn't help but to decide that she liked it too. And when he introduced her to his girlfriend, she admitted that she liked the warm girl.

Somewhat grudgingly.

They accepted her in their circle of friends though, and she quickly befriend all of them, learning to believe other people. She found out not all people couldn't be trusted. There are even people who are nice enough to care about her.

She might not be fully healed yet, but she's on a steady way to recovery.

The Dicey Café was really full tonight, with people chattering and drinking. It was late at night, on 31st of December. In short, it was the New Year's Eve, and all former SAO and current ALO players were all gathered there for celebration.

"Sinon!"

A dark-haired male waved over to her, motioning her to come over. She was more than happy to oblige. She strode there, muttering 'sorry's and 'ouch's along the way. When she finally got there, she found out that he was with their usual circle of friends.

"Hi to you too… Kirito,"

He grinned casually to her. He was sitting besides his girlfriend, Asuna, who was smiling warmly to her. She returned the smile. Around them were Rika (Lisbeth), Keiko (Scilica), Cline, and Sugu (Lyfa), who is Kirito's _imoutou_. They were all involved in a chat, except Sugu who was gulping her drink while looking out of the window.

She had noticed the way Sugu looked at her brother sometimes. It seemed that she, along with Liz and Scilica had fate worse than her, by actually falling to that imbecile. But now she and the others looked relaxed and worry-free.

They were all happy.

"Oi Sinon," Kirigaya Kazuto a.k.a Kirito interrupted her thoughts. "Are you even listening to me?"

"Sorry, what did you say?"

Asuna chuckled softly and said to her "What he's trying to say was he's inviting you to join the countdown,"

"Oh," she replied stupidly. She joined the swarm of people surrounding the clock along with Kirito and Asuna. It was almost twelve o'clock, just a few seconds more…

_Five._

She used to be so fragile, so alone…

_Four._

And he changed that, teaching her to believe…

_Three._

She learnt to believe in herself, finding out that if she believed in herself, she can repair her broken self…

_Two._

All was better when she believed in herself, she's really healing…

_One._

All because of one word. Believe.

"Happy New Year!"

The crowd was congratulating each other, hugging and laughing. She herself was being crushed inside ha group of people hugging.

She was happy.

And she has no regret on believing.


End file.
